different between recitation vs description

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French récitation, from Latin recitatio.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???s??te???n/
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

recitation (countable and uncountable, plural recitations)

1. The act of publicly reciting something previously memorized.
2. The material recited.
3. A regularly scheduled class, in a school, in which discussion occurs of the material covered in a parallel lecture.
   • 1882, Wayside Gleanings for Leisure Moments, Cambridge University Press, page 20,

     I shall now endeavor to give some account of the College.... Some then go to a recitation of the lesson they have learnt the previous evening. Some return to their rooms till the breakfast-bell, about seven or after. At eight the sludy bell rings. All must then go in their rooms and continue there, even if they have no lessons to learn, unless they attend a recitation which occupies an hour.

   • 1896, Frank Norris, "The 'English Courses' of the University of California", reprinted in, 1986, Novels and Essays, Library of America, ?ISBN, page 1109,

     In the "announcement of courses" published annually by the faculty of the University of California the reader cannot fail to be impressed with the number and scope of the hours devoted by the students to recitations and lectures upon the subject of "literature."

   • 1999 October 29, J. Levine "Re: Debate on accreditation of Jones International", alt.education.distance, Usenet,

     Many of my courses, however, were offered in recitation-lecture format. We would attend class, say twice a week, and a lecture once a week. ... I do seem to recall that my recitation sections seldom had less than 40 to 50 students and my lecture classes often had upwards of 100 to 300 students.

4. (music) A part of a song's lyrics that is spoken rather than sung.

Translations

Anagrams

• antierotic, tetraionic

Danish

Etymology

From recitere (“recite”) +? -ation (“-ation”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??sita??o?n/

Noun

recitation c (singular definite recitationen, plural indefinite recitationer)

1. recitation

Inflection

English

Etymology

From Old French description, from Latin d?scr?pti?, noun of action of d?scr?b? (“I describe”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d??sk??p??n/

Noun

description (countable and uncountable, plural descriptions)

1. A sketch or account of anything in words; a portraiture or representation in language; an enumeration of the essential qualities of a thing or species.
2. The act of describing; a delineation by marks or signs.
3. A set of characteristics by which someone or something can be recognized.

   The zoo had no lions, tigers, or cats of any description.

4. (taxonomy) A scientific documentation of a taxon for the purpose of introducing it to science.

   The type description of the fungus was written by a botanist.

5. (linguistics) The act or practice of recording and describing actual language usage in a given speech community, as opposed to prescription, i.e. laying down norms of language usage.
6. (linguistics) A descriptive linguistic survey.

Synonyms

• (characteristics): sort, kind, type, variety

Derived terms

Related terms

• describe
• descriptive

Translations

See also

• prescription
• descriptivism

Further reading

• description in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• description in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

See also

• synopsis
• interpretation

Anagrams

• discerption, predictions

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin d?scripti?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d?s.k?ip.sj??/
• Homophone: descriptions

Noun

description f (plural descriptions)

1. description

Related terms

• décrire
• descriptif

Further reading

• “description” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Old French

Etymology

From Latin d?scripti?.

Noun

description f (oblique plural descriptions, nominative singular description, nominative plural descriptions)

1. description

Related terms

• descrivre